M71

Alt. Designations: NGC 6838
Object Type: Open Cluster
Constellation: Sagitta
Distance: 13 kly
Right Ascension: 19h 53m 46.1s
Declination: +18° 46´ 44"
Visual Magnitude: 8.3
Apparent Dimension: 7.2´ Dia.
Best Month To View: Jul

Located in the constellation of Sagitta is a globular cluster known as M71. This is an extremely loose cluster, and for some time there was doubt as to whether this was a globular cluster at all. Some astronomers believed it to be a condensed open cluster. This globular is located about 11,700 light-years from Earth and has a diameter of only 25 light-years. This makes it one of the smallest known globular clusters. Recent findings suggest that the size may actually be 90 light-years, but it is uncertain at this point how many of the surrounding stars are actually part of the cluster. At magnitude 8.2 it can be seen through binoculars on a good night.